At a Glance

College – B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from VIT University, Vellore

Place of work – Indian Academy of Sciences, IIT Delhi under the guidance of Prof. Anshul Kumar

Process of application – the application includes academic records, cover letter, recommendations and choosing a guide

Eligibility – students pursuing B.Tech, B.Sc, Dual degree etc. and have completed 2 years of under graduation are eligible to apply for this fellowship

Duration of the internship – 2 months

Stipend – INR 8,000 per month

Research topic – ‘High speed Processor designing based on Convolution Neural Networks’. We are working on computer architecture and we are trying to develop a high speed processor for image and video applications based on neural networks. The processor is designed to cater image and three dimensional (video) signals.

In Detail

InterFeel (IF): Please tell us something about yourself. Where are you studying currently? What are your hobbies and interests?

Harshit Gupta (HG): I am doing my B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from VIT University, Vellore. I have just completed my pre-final year. I believe there is no substitute for hard work, and that is something I have always followed. I have been raised to believe that working hard for your goal would take you where you want to be. I like watching reality-based TV shows, browsing the internet, making new friends amongst other things.

IF: Tell us something about your internship including stipend, duration and place?

HG: I am currently pursuing Summer Research Fellowship from the Indian Academy of Sciences (IAS). I consider myself quite fortunate have got an opportunity to do this fellowship. This fellowship is supported by three science academies i.e. Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Delhi and the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad. The fellowship is offered to the students who wish to make their career in the field of research and provides an opportunity to work under the guidance of some excellent professors and scientists for a period of 2 months. I would suggest people who are planning for GRE should apply for this fellowship as it will definitely give a boost to your application. I am working on High speed processor designing based on Convolution Neural Networks, in IIT Delhi under the guidance of Prof. Anshul Kumar. The stipend provided is sufficient for the boarding and lodging requirements.

Duration of the internship – 2 months

Stipend – INR 8,000 per month

Research Topic – research on ‘High speed Processor designing based on Convolution Neural Networks’

IF: Tell us about the procedure to apply for the internship. Who all are eligible to apply for this internship?

HG: Every year, IAS provides an opportunity for undergraduate students of various streams to apply under reputed and renowned professors and scientists. Students pursuing B.Tech, B.Sc, dual degree etc. and have completed 2 years of under graduation are eligible to apply for this fellowship. IAS requires you to submit your academic records right from the 10th grade till the most recent qualification along with a letter of recommendation from a faculty of your college.

IF: Let’s talk about how competitive the selection process was. Which qualities helped you to have edge in the selection process? According to you, what were the key things that selectors were looking for?

HG: Well, we had this get together meeting at INSA premises, New Delhi, where they highlight the fact that around 8,400 engineering students (different from life sciences and mathematics) have applied for this fellowship and out of which approximately 480 students have been shortlisted for the fellowship.

As for what a selector looks for, I think it’s your academic record that plays an important role, as in your 10th, 12th and undergraduate CGPA (more than 8 is decent). Also, if you have done some projects relevant to your area of application, it will definitely add to your chances of selection. Special attention should be paid to the cover letter and your research interest. Good extra circular is an added plus too!

IF: Could you please highlight the work/research you carried out during your internship period?

HG: Since my internship is still going on, I am working on computer architecture and we are trying to develop a high-speed processor for image and video applications based on neural networks. The processor is designed to cater image and three-dimensional (video) signals.

IF: How has your overall experience been till now? Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

HG: Since this summer fellowship is research based, and the project I am doing here is completely different from the sort of work I have done at VIT. But I would like to thank my guide, who has helped me in every aspect possible till now – from providing the suitable guidance on the course material, he has been always there to help and guide us. Also I would like to thank my family, friends and seniors especially Sehaj and Yomi who have continuously motivated me and pushed me towards exploring my technical side.

We would like to thank Harshit for taking time out and sharing his experience with us.